CSE38900 - Tutorial 2

1. If X and Y are independent random variables with µx = 9.5 and µY = 6.8. and standard deviations σx = 0.4
and σY = 0.1, find the means and standard deviations of the following:

a. 3X
b. Y-X
c. X+4Y

2. The lifetime of a certain transistor in a certain application has mean 900 hours and standard deviation 30
hours. Find the mean and standard deviation of the length of time that four transistors will last.

3. A laminated item is composed of five layers. The layer are a simple random sample from a population whose
thickness has mean 1.2mm and standard deviation 0.04mm

a. Find the mean thickness of an item

b. Find the standard deviation of the thickness of an item.

4. A gas station earns $2.60 in revenue for each gallon of regular gas it sells, $2.75 for each gallon of midgrade
gas, and $2.90 for each gallon of premium gas. Let X1, X2 and X3 denote the numbers of gallons of similar,
midgrade, and premium gasoline sold in a day. Assume that X1, X2 and X3 have means µ1 = 1500 , µ2 = 500
and µ3 = 300, and the standard deviations σ1 = 180, σ2 = 90 and σ3 = 40, respectively.

a. Find the mean daily revenue.

b. Assuming X1, X2 and X3 to be independent, find the standard deviation of the daily revenue.

5. The article describes the chemical compositions of a certain minerals in the early Archaean mantle. For a
certain type of olivine assembly, the silicon dioxide (SiO2) content (in weight percent) in a randomly chosen
rock has mean 40.25 and standard deviation 0.36.

a. Find the mean and standard deviation of the sample mean SiO2 content in a random sample of 10 rocks.
b. How many rocks must be sampled so that the standard deviation of the sample mean SiO2 content is
0.05?

6. The reading given by a thermometer calibrated in ice water (actual temperature 0oC) is a random variable
with probability density function
𝑘𝑘(1 − 𝑥𝑥 2 ) −1 < 𝑥𝑥 < 1
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = �
0 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒
where k is a constant.

a. Find the value of k.

b. What is the probability that the thermometer reads above 0oC?
C. What is the probability that the reading is within 0.25oC of the actual temperature?
d. What is the mean reading?
e. What is the median reading?
f. What is the standard deviation?

7. These are two fuses in an electrical device. Let X denote the lifetime of the first fuse, and let Y denote the
lifetime of the second fuse (both in years). Assume the joint probability density function of X and Y is

1 −𝑥𝑥/2−𝑦𝑦/3
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = �6 𝑒𝑒 𝑥𝑥 > 0 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑦𝑦 > 0
0 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒

a. Find P(X≤2 and Y≤3).

b. Find the probability that both fuses last at least 3 years.

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 c. Find the marginal probability density function of X.
d. Find the marginal probability density function of Y.
e. Are X and Y independent? Explain.

8. Let x add y be independent random variables with µx = 2, σx = 1, µY = 2, σY = 3. Find the means and variances
of the following quantities.

a. 3X
b. X+Y
c. X-Y
d. 2X+6Y

9. Let X and Y be random variables with µx = 1, σx = 2, µY = 3, σY = 1 and ρX,Y = 0.5. Find the means and
variances of the following quantities.

a. X+Y
b. X-Y
c. 3X+2Y
d. 5Y-2X

10. A steel manufacturer is testing a new additive for manufacturing an alloy of steel. The joint probability mass
function of tensile strength (in thousands of pounds/in2) and additive concentration is

Tensile Strength
Concentration 100 150 200
of Additive
0.02 0.05 0.06 0.11
0.04 0.01 0.08 0.10
0.06 0.04 0.08 0.17
0.08 0.04 0.14 0.12

a. What are the marginal probability mass functions for X (additive concentration) and Y (tensile Strength)?
b. Are X and Y independent? Explain.
c. Given that a specimen has an additive concentration of 0.04, what is the probability that its tensile
strength is 150 or more?
d. Given that a specimen has an additive concentration of 0.08, what is the probability that its tensile
strength is greater than 125?
e. A certain application calls for the tensile strength to be I75 or more. What additive concentration should
be used to make the probability of meeting this specification the greatest?

11. A box contains four 75 W lightbulbs, three 60 W lightbulbs, and three burned-out lightbulbs. Two bulbs are
selected at random from the box. Let X represent the number of 75 W bulbs selected, and let Y represent the
number of 60 W bulbs selected.

a. Find the joint probability mass function of X and Y.

b. Find µx .
c. Find µY ,.
d. Find σx ,.
e. Find σY,
f. Find Cov (X,Y).
g. Find ρX,Y

12. A stock solution of hydrochloric acid HCI) supplied by a certain vendor contains small amounts of several
impurities, including copper and nickel. Let X denote the amount of copper and let Y denote the amount of

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nickel, in parts per ten million, in a randomly selected bottle of solution. Assume that the joint probability
density function of X and Y is given by

𝑐𝑐(𝑥𝑥 + 𝑦𝑦)2 0 < 𝑥𝑥 < 1 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 0 < 𝑦𝑦 < 1

𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = �
0 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒

a. Find the value of the constant c so that f (x, y) is a joint density function.
h. Compute the marginal density function fx(x).
c. Compute the conditional density function fY|X (y|x).
d. Compute the conditional expectation E(Y| X =0.4).
e. Are X and Y independent? Explain.